How can the use of error handling and debugging techniques improve the efficiency of PHP code?

Error handling and debugging techniques can improve the efficiency of PHP code by helping developers identify and resolve issues quickly. By implementing proper error handling, developers can catch and handle errors gracefully, preventing the code from crashing and providing helpful error messages for troubleshooting. Debugging techniques, such as using var_dump() or print_r() to inspect variables and values, can help developers pinpoint the source of bugs and optimize code for better performance.

// Example of error handling using try-catch block
try {
    // Code that may throw an exception
    $result = 10 / 0;
} catch (Exception $e) {
    // Handle the exception
    echo "An error occurred: " . $e->getMessage();
}

// Example of debugging using var_dump()
$variable = "Hello, World!";
var_dump($variable);